Expert Witness
by Scott Washburn
Summary: Lieutenant Kaya Vorinnis is called from Sergyar to Vorbarr Sultana to testify before the Council of Counts-but she doesn't know why.


**Expert Witness**

By Scott Washburn

A Fan Fiction Story Set in the Worlds of Miles Vorkosigan

This story includes characters and settings created by Lois McMaster Bujold and are used without her permission or knowledge. It also includes original characters created in my stories "Tales from the Academy" and "Lieutenants". If you have not read those stories, I advise you to do so before reading "Expert Witness".

Lieutenant Kaya Vorinnis of the Barrayaran Imperial Service Women's Auxiliary looked out the shuttle's window as it broke through the clouds above Vorbarr Sultana. Traffic regulations, of course, would not permit the shuttle to pass _directly_ above the Imperial Capital, so it was a dozen or so kilometers off to the east as the vehicle made its final approach to the military shuttleport. The city looked much as it had the last time she'd seen it. _Almost four years on Sergyar! Where does the time go?_ She caught a glimpse of the huge Ops Building where she'd spent her first months after graduating from the ISWA Officer's Candidate School. While it had been satisfying to finally be an active duty officer, her job at Ops had not been all that interesting and she had been very excited to go to Sergyar. It had seemed like it would be a real adventure—and for the most part it had been.

But now she was back, and it surprised her that there was no doubt in her mind that she was, indeed, returning home. A surge of nostalgia and homesickness flared up in her and that was surprising, too. She hadn't had any such episodes while away on Sergyar. Maybe she would have the chance to visit her home and see her family while she was here.

 _Assuming someone tells me what I'm doing here!_

She had received orders to come here but with no explanation why. The orders had come from that very Ops building where she used to work, but the signature on the order was from some mid-level general named Vordaris, who she'd never heard of. Her boss, Colonel Swinson, who was General Haines' chief of staff, had simply told her to go. No explanation at all. She missed her old job as Admiral Jole's aide. Jole never would have sent her off blind like this. But he had retired a year ago and she'd ended up on Haines' staff, but not working in close proximity to the general. It wasn't nearly as interesting as working directly for Jole, but she was learning a lot and it was satisfying enough. Another year or two and she might make captain.

The shuttle, having shed the last of its excess velocity, settled onto a landing pad and the engines hummed to a stop. There were five other officers on the shuttle, all of them senior to her, so she waited to let them debark first. She got her modest travel bag out of the rack and stepped through the open airlock out on to the pad. The shuttleport smelled like every shuttleport she'd ever been on: hydraulic fluid, hot exhausts, and baked plascrete. But a breeze blew another smell into her nostrils. It wasn't a specific smell, exactly, but she recognized it immediately _: Barrayar_.

Breathing deeply, she walked toward an entrance to the terminal building. Her muscles remembered the slightly heavier gravity, too. Inside, she presented her ID to a bored security corporal and stepped into a small waiting area. Her orders said that she would be met here…

"Lieutenant Vorinnis?"

She looked to the source of the voice and her eyes widened slightly. The tall, middle-aged man was wearing a uniform, but not like the one she was wearing. Instead of the forest green of the Imperial Service, his was a blue-grey color with white piping on the cuffs and collar. She recognized it as the house uniform of a count's armsman. She was startled to realize that the colors were those of Count Vorinnis, one of the sixty district rulers who were second only to the Emperor himself. The count was a distant relative of Kaya's, whom she'd only ever met twice. Why was his man meeting her?

"Yes, that's me," she replied. "And you are…?"

"Armsman Rospond, miss. I'm here to convey you to Vorrinis House."

"Vorinnis House? Why are you taking me there?"

"I'm sure I don't know, miss," said the armsman with a slightly infuriating cheerfulness. "But those are my orders."

Every count maintained a residence in the capital, but why in the world was she supposed to go there? Assuming she _was_ supposed to go there… "Well _my_ orders just instruct me to meet someone here. They don't say anything about going anywhere else."

"Ah, yes," said Rospond. He pulled a flimsy out of a pocket and offered it to her. "I was given this in case you had any… questions."

She took it and looked it over. It appeared to be a standard military order sheet with the proper letterhead and all. It simply instructed her to cooperate with Count Vorinnis and his representatives. It was signed by that same mysterious General Vordaris from Ops. It was still very odd, but there was no reason not to comply. "Very well, armsman, I'm at your service."

"No, miss, I'm at yours. Please come this way." He led her through a number of long corridors and eventually emerged in a small parking area where there was an aircar with a driver waiting. Rospond put her travel bag in the trunk and then joined her in the rear passenger compartment. The vehicle immediately took off and gained altitude as it headed for the city.

Vorbarr Sultana was the largest city on Barrayar and the second most populous in the Empire. Only the domed city of Solstice on Komarr had a higher population. Kaya had never been to Solstice, despite having passed through the Komarr system several times, but Vorbarr Sultana covered far more surface area, and from pictures she'd seen of Solstice, was far more beautiful. A large river ran through the center of it and the eclectic mix of building styles, from Time of Isolation rustic, to galactic modern, leant it an undeniable charm. The aircar, under the automatic control of the city's traffic system, flew within a few kilometers of the city center and she could glimpse the Imperial Residence and the new ImpSec building.

Vorinnis House was on the far side of the city on a hill overlooking the river. The residences of the counts were in the same mix of styles as the rest of the city. There were a handful of the actual fortified manor houses built during the Bloody Centuries where a count might have to resist a siege during the innumerable civil wars. Only one of those was still used as a residence, while the others had become museums. Far more numerous were the huge mansions built in the decades just before the end of the Time of Isolation. These were residences rather than fortresses, although they could be hastily put into that role at need. And then there were the fully modern structures which had been built in more recent times. Probably half fit into that category. Vorinnis House was a hybrid. Its imposing front façade of gray stone had been preserved along with the entrance hall, a dining room, and a few rooms on the upper floors, but the rest was modern. Kaya had visited the place when the new count had thrown a large dinner for all the Vorinnises who could make it, to celebrate his becoming count.

The aircar settled on a landing pad by a side entrance and she was ushered inside, Rospond grabbing her bag before she could. "I'm afraid the Count isn't at home right now, miss, but Mr. Vorepps will be taking care of you." He steered her into a small office where another man was waiting. "Here you are," said Rospond. "I'll just put your things in your room." He bowed himself out. _My room? I'm staying here?_

Vorepps was a middle-aged man with graying brown hair. He was a little on the chubby side and quite short—only a few centimeters taller than Kaya. But he had a pleasant smile and he came around the desk and offered her his hand. "Hello, Lieutenant, I'm Joseph Vorepps, I work for the Count and I'll be your host while you are here."

She shook his hand but was now totally confused. "While I'm here? How long am I staying and what am I doing here?"

"Ah, that's right, no one's told you anything," said Vorepps. "Military security and all that! Unnecessary in this case. Nothing at all secret going on. But sit down! Can I get you anything?"

"Uh, no thank you, sir." She found a seat and lowered herself into it. Vorepps did the same.

"So, why you are here. It's very simple. Tomorrow you will be asked to make a statement before the Council of Counts."

Kaya sat upright in her chair, completely shocked. The Council of Counts! It was the group which advised the Emperor and also filled the role of a legislature in the Empire. What could they possibly want to hear from her? She searched her conscience and couldn't come up with a single sin that would interest that body. Could it be some sort of investigation of one of her bosses? General Haines? Admiral Jole? She couldn't think of any scandals she'd witnessed while working for them… "What? What am I supposed to say?" she asked in almost a whisper.

He'd obviously noticed her nervous expression because Vorepps waved a hand, smiled, and shook his head. "Relax, Lieutenant! You're not in any trouble! No one's in any trouble. The Counts are merely conducting a review of the ISWA's performance in light of all the recent changes in it. You will simply be asked to describe your own personal experiences and give your opinions on what you've seen and done since joining up. An 'expert witness' as it were."

"How… why me? There must be hundreds of other…"

"Ah, well the Count has taken some interest in these hearings and he recalled that he had a distant cousin in the ISWA and thought you'd be perfect. You have met the Count, haven't you?"

"Twice, sir. Once before he became the count. That was twelve or thirteen years ago…"

"Oh, when the old count had the big family reunion, down at the district capital, Ouest Higgat, correct? I was there."

"Yes, sir, that was it. And then again after the present Count inherited the title. He had that dinner here for the family. I was stationed here in Vorbarr Sultana, so I was invited. That was…"

"Five years ago. I was there, too."

"But all I did either time was say hello. So I can't really say I know him at all."

"Well, he's young for a count, only thirty-two, but he's filling the role very well and very conscientiously. Takes it seriously. And he wants you to testify."

"I'll do my best, sir. I don't see why anyone would be particularly interested in my short career, but I'll tell them about it if they want."

"Excellent!" said Vorepps smiling. "Actually, if you could also provide some history of the ISWA as well, that would be appreciated. There's a comconsole in your room, so if you want to brush up on the subject this evening that would be good. And please don't be nervous! This isn't a voting session of the counts, just a working session. The Emperor won't be there and there will probably only be a bare quorum of the counts. Most of the people there will be non-voting proxies. This is all very routine, Lieutenant. Just day-to-day business."

 _And they dragged me all the way here from Sergyar for that?_ It didn't make any sense to her, but what the hell? She was here. "I'll do my best," she repeated.

"Good1 Good! But I'm sure you're tired after your trip. Dinner is in two hours. Why don't you go to your room and relax for a bit?"

"All right…" she got up and then gasped "Oh damn!"

"What's wrong?"

"I… my uniform! I didn't bring my dress greens or… I didn't know what I was here for and I didn't…!" Kaya started to panic, wondering if she could get a set made before tomorrow…

"Relax! Relax, Lieutenant! Undress greens are perfectly appropriate for this."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now come on." He led her out of the office and turned her over a servant who took her upstairs to a very nice guest room with its own attached bath. It had a large bed, a desk with a comconsole and windows which looked out on the gardens and the river beyond. Her scant clothing was hanging in the closet or placed in the dresser.

Shaking her head in wonder, she opened the windows and breathed in the air. It was early fall in Vorbarr Sultana—whose seasons bore no coordination with Sergyar's—and it was pleasantly cool. She had two hours to kill before dinner. Part of her wanted to wander in the gardens or just take a nap, but Vorepps' suggestion' that she bone up on the history of the ISWA was an itch that she had to scratch. So she sat down at the comconsole and opened up the planetary information net.

She had barely gotten started when there was a knock on her door. She opened it to find Armsman Rospond outside. "Yes?"

"Pardon me for disturbing you, miss, but while I was unpacking, I noticed you only had the one set of greens with you—the ones you are wearing. Perhaps you'd like to change into something else so I can have those properly cleaned and pressed before your… appointment tomorrow."

"Oh! That's a fine suggestion Armsman. Give me a moment and I'll get out of them." She closed the door and quickly stripped off the greens, but the problem was what to wear now? Aside from extra shirts, socks and underwear she'd only brought a set of black fatigues and one set of civies in the hope that she might get a chance to see her family. Fatigues for dinner in a count's residence didn't seem appropriate, so she settled on the civies which were just a blouse and skirt. When she was dressed she handed the greens and her boots to Rospond and thanked him.

She went back to the comconsole and quickly discovered that there was a huge amount of information available on the ISWA. She realized there was no way she could absorb all of it and in all probability the Council of Counts wouldn't want a list of names and dates and events. So she concentrated on the basics and by dinner had committed a brief summary to memory. For good measure she did a search on Joseph Vorepps and wasn't surprised to learn he was a lawyer who had worked for the old count and the new for over twenty years. _Yeah, he talks like a lawyer…_

Dinner was a bit odd. Count Vorinnis wasn't there, nor any of his immediate family, but there were two other houseguests besides Mr. Vorepps, who played host. The men, a Vorenglert and a Vorflowski were both a bit older than Kaya and, as far as she could make out, of no relation to the count. They were very jovial and even witty, once they had a few glasses of wine in them. They were clearly in the city to have a good time and they spent much of dinner trying to persuade Kaya to accompany them on their planned jaunts that evening. She was halfway tempted to accept, but her own good sense and the subtle frowns Vorepps gave her quashed the idea. The men regretfully accepted her refusal and departed soon after the meal ended. Kaya managed a short walk through the gardens before dark and then went back to her room. She thought about calling her folks, but decided she would wait until whatever was going to happen tomorrow was over. Instead, she briefly reviewed her ISWA history and went to bed early.

Barrayar time had no more relation to Sergyar time than did their seasons, so she depended on the alarm to get her up. She wasn't due to appear before the council until mid- morning, but she wanted plenty of time to prepare.

Not that a great deal of preparation was needed. She got up, had breakfast wearing the same set of clothes she'd worn at dinner, went back to her room to shower, and then got into her greens, which had been cleaned, brushed, creased, and polished to perfection. Afterwards, for lack of anything better to do, she pulled up information on the Council of Counts while she waited for Vorepps to come and get her.

She'd known about the Council of Counts for as long as she could remember, but she'd never really studied it or considered how odd it was. She'd taken it for granted like people always did with such things. Or perhaps _odd_ wasn't the right word. _Archaic_ was a better fit, because it resembled some ancient feudal systems more than it did modern legislatures.

The basic concept was common enough: a powerful ruler—the emperor—who had considerable real power in addition to symbolic importance, was assisted, and to some degree kept in check, by a council who exerted its power through control of budgets and most of the legislative process.

What was unusual was the fact that the members of this council were also powerful rulers in their own right. Each count ran a district of Barrayar, which could range from a few thousand to several hundred thousand square kilometers in area, with populations running from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions. The counts had quite a lot of power within their districts and answered only to the Emperor and their fellow counts in the council. Over the centuries there had been good counts and bad counts and middling counts. The ones today were probably on better behavior than most in the past had been due to modern news reporting methods and laws which allowed the citizens of the districts to up and move if they wanted. The young Count Vorinnis was considered a pretty good one, although he had left the Progressives, whom his father had always embraced, to become an independent.

The thing about the system of most importance to Kaya at the moment was the fact that the duel roles the counts filled took a lot of time. Trying to run their districts _and_ participate in the Council of Counts full-time was simply impossible. So, the Council was out of session for about a third of the year and in 'non-voting' session for a good deal of the rest of the year. The non-voting sessions saw a bare quorum of counts—a mere twenty-one—actually present and the rest being represented by proxies. These sessions handled most of the bureaucratic tasks of the Council. Testimony was given, reports read and commissioned, committees formed, and new legislation introduced. Dozens of other things, too. All of this was recorded—and no doubt summarized—for perusal by the counts who were not present. Then, twice a year there were the full council sessions where the Emperor and most of the counts would be present to actually vote on things—and handle the big issues which were too important to be left to non-voting sessions. Sometimes special voting sessions might be called for emergencies, but that didn't happen too often.

Reading all of this made Kaya feel much less nervous. Whatever she said would be distilled down to a paragraph or two which would disappear into some big report. The Emperor and most of the counts would never even see it and the third branch of the government, the Council of Ministers, who carried out the directives of the others, wouldn't either. She was breathing much easier by the time Vorepps came to collect her.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" said the lawyer as their aircar, with Armsman Rospond driving, took off for the short hop to Vorhartung Castle, where the council met.

"Yes, sir."

"This shouldn't take all that long—although one never knows, of course, sometimes odd procedural matters can drag things out—but afterwards, the Count wanted me to extend the hospitality of Vorinnis House to you for as long as you'd like to stay. Both now and in the future."

"That's… that's most kind," said Kaya. And it was! Free, first-class lodgings in the capital whenever she needed them! "Please pass on my thanks to the Count. It… it's not like I'm doing all that much."

"You are doing him a favor, Lieutenant. The Count remembers such things and returns those favors as he is able. Oh, we are nearly there." Kaya looked out the window and saw that they were already circling the castle, which was an ancient stone structure surrounded by modern gardens, perched on a bluff overlooking the river. "Just a few more words about what's going to happen: I'll be leaving you in an area reserved for witnesses. I'm acting as the Count's proxy today, so at some point I will call you in. I'll ask you some questions and you just answer honestly—oh, you'll be sworn in, of course—and that should be it. There might be someone else who wants to ask you a few questions, although I doubt it. If they do, just answer them. Hopefully, we'll have you out of there before lunch."

The air car settled onto a landing pad reserved for Count Vorinnis. There were a few scores of other vehicles on other pads and a group of armsmen in house uniforms stood with some non-uniformed drivers, enjoying the pleasant weather. Kaya and Vorepps got out, leaving Rospond with the car. There was a quick, but thorough, security screening at the entrance and then they were inside the old castle. It had originally been one of those Time of Isolation fortress-residences. This one had been grander than most and belonged to the Vorhartungs. Several generations earlier the family had built a more modern structure in the city and donated this one to the Empire. It had been renovated and modernized and was now the formal meeting place for the Council of Counts. Kaya looked admiringly at the intricately carved woodwork and smooth marble floors. It smelled of wood wax, polish—and history. The main entry led to a wide hallway, lined with portraits of famous counts. At the end were a pair of huge oak doors which, she imagined, led into the council chamber. There were a few people about, but the place seemed strangely empty.

Vorepps steered her away from the big doors and down a side corridor to a small waiting room with paneled walls, upholstered chairs, and a sideboard with a coffee machine. One other person was there, a middle-aged man in civilian dress. "Make yourself comfortable, Lieutenant," said Vorepps. "The restroom is through that door. Someone will come for you in a bit" He paused and looked at the other man and then added: "Please don't talk to the other witnesses." He left her.

Kaya nodded at the other man, who nodded in return and then went back to reading from a small computer pad. She took a seat not-quite facing him and tried not to fidget. Despite Vorepps reassurances, she was still a bit nervous. She briefly thought about getting a cup of coffee, but instead made use of the restroom. She didn't want to find herself trying to testify with a full bladder. Returning to her chair she pulled out her own compad and reviewed the information on the ISWA for the twentieth time.

She jumped when the door opened, but a liveried man asked for the other fellow and he departed, leaving Kaya alone in the room. The morning wore on and she used the restroom again. She was used to cooling her heels while waiting for superior officers, but for some reason this was especially wearing. But she couldn't go and demand _how much longer?_ of Vorepps any more than she could have the admiral or the general.

Finally, the door opened again and the man couldn't have been coming for anyone but her. She followed him to another hallway and then through a small side door into the large council chamber. _Don't even rate the big doors, huh?_

She'd seen vids of the Council chamber, but she'd never been here before. It was basically rectangular in shape, maybe fifty meters by thirty meters. At one of the narrow ends was a dais, one step up from the rest of the floor. On the wall behind it was a large Imperial crest, illuminated by spotlights. On the dais in front of it was a small military camp stool of an antique style. When the Emperor was here, he would sit on that modest bit of furniture, a reminder of Barrayar's military heritage. It was empty today, of course, but the symbolism was striking and Kaya felt a tiny lump in her throat.

Stretching away from the dais were curved rows of wooden desks where the counts would sit. The space was a good three stories high and at the rear was a large sloped gallery for spectators, beneath which were the two big doors she'd seen from the outside. Directly between the dais and the rows of desks was the Speaker's Circle and that is where she was led.

Like the rest of the castle, the council chamber seemed strangely empty. There were the twenty or so counts who were necessary to form the quorum. Apparently, they had some sort of rotating schedule so the majority of them could skip these sessions. Another score of men, the proxies, she assumed, were also there. She spotted Vorepps sitting at one of the desks and he smiled at her and nodded reassuringly.

On the dais stood the Lord Guardian of the Speaker's Circle—or at least someone filling in for him. He wasn't dressed in the ornate garb of the office, like the one she'd seen in the vids during voting sessions. He held a cane-like stick instead of the pennoned cavalry spear that was traditional. Kara found herself facing the man. He simply said: "State your name, rank, and duty station."

She came to attention and replied: "Lieutenant Kaya Vorinnis, ISWA, Sergyar Ground Command."

"Do you swear that any and all statements made before this Council will be the truth?"

"I do."

"Very well, Lieutenant, you may face the counts." He gestured to the assembled men. This caught her a bit by surprise. Every vid she'd seen of this place always had the speakers facing the Emperor—but he wasn't here today. She made an about face.

"Mr. Vorepps, here is your witness. Please proceed," said the Lord Guardian.

The lawyer got up from the desk and came forward. As he did so, he passed another man who instantly caught Kaya's eye. _Count Vorkosigan!_ Yes, it was really him, the son of the former Vicereine of Sergyar, Cordelia Vorkosigan. Kaya had met him a few times while she was Admiral Joel's aide when he came to visit his mother. He caught her gaze and gave her a tiny nod of his head. But then Vorepps was standing in front of her and speaking:

"Lieutenant Vorinnis, you are a member of the Imperial Service Women's Auxiliary, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And how long have you been in the ISWA?"

"Six years, sir."

"Could you give us a brief summary of your career during that time?"

"Yes, sir. I joined the ISWA when I was eighteen. My examination scores and school grades were good enough to get me into the officer's candidate school. I spent eighteen months there and was commissioned an ensign. After graduation I spent a little over six months in Ops, here in Vorbarr Sultana. I was promoted to lieutenant and given the opportunity to transfer to Sergyar Command. I was assigned as Admiral Jole's aide where I served until he retired. Since then I've been a member of General Haines staff."

"Do you enjoy your work, Lieutenant?" Vorepps smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir. The variety of challenges on Sergyar are very… uh, challenging." She mentally slapped herself for the stupid phrasing, but Vorepps didn't seem to mind.

"So you would say that the ISWA has given you a satisfying and rewarding way of serving the Empire?"

"Sir? Yes, sir."

"Do the other women in the ISWA feel the same way, Lieutenant?"

"Well, I can't speak for all of them, sir, but most that I've met seem to." _We're a pretty dedicated lot, if that's what you mean._

"Good, good. But things weren't always that way in the ISWA, were they? There have been a lot of changes in the past few years, haven't there?"

Ah, okay, here was where Vorepps wanted her to provide historical background. She'd been wondering what that was all about. She quickly pulled up her summary and reorganized it a little.

"The ISWA, as an organization, was created over fifty years ago, sir, during the last years of Emperor Ezar's reign. There had been women serving the military in various capacities long before that on an unofficial basis. Camp followers, laundresses, and _vivandieres_ —the semi-official field nurses attached to some regiments right near the end of the Time of Isolation—were common. Later, women were used in all sorts of clerical work and in medical units. But in most cases these were wives or daughters of the officers or civilian employees hired specially.

"When the Empire moved out into the galaxy it became impractical, in many cases, to continue this practice, since civilians couldn't be ordered to go to some off-world station. It was at this point that the ISWA was created."

"But this wasn't some branch of the Imperial Military, was it?" asked Vorepps.

"No, sir, it was an entirely separate organization with its own chain of command, uniforms, ranks, pay grades, everything. It served the military, but was separate from them."

"Pay grades were different? Different from the men?"

"Uh, yes, sir. Typically women doing similar jobs as men were paid about half as much."

"That's shocking. But that's not true anymore, is it?"

"No, sir, when the rank structure was changed to match the Imperial Military, the pay grades were equalized, too."

"And the different uniforms were done away with, too?"

"Nearly, sir. Our dress greens have skirts instead of trousers and we wear a small ISWA patch on the shoulders of all our coats. And we don't have swords or the red-and-blue parade…"

"And these changes weren't just a matter of uniforms and pay grades, were, they?"

"Oh, no, sir, the reforms opened up a huge number of new positions to women. Before the reforms the most I could have hoped for was some glorified secretarial position. I never would have had the responsibilities and opportunities I had as Admiral Joel's aide or…"

"And most of these changes happened quite recently, isn't that true, Lieutenant?"

"Uh, yes, sir. Mostly as a result of Barrayar's expedition to Novo Paveo eight years ago. The women in the medical units performed so well, heroically in some cases, that people thought the separate-and-unequal status ought to be changed. It took a year or so, but the ISWA was formally made a branch of the Imperial Military."

"That was indeed a glorious episode in our history, wasn't it?" said Vorepps, smiling. "And just a year or so before you joined the service. Did that have some influence on your decision to enlist?"

"Uh, yes, sir, I think it did. And the actions of…"

"So. Lieutenant, you would say that the ISWA, as it now stands, provides the women of the Empire the opportunity to serve in an honorable and rewarding fashion?"

"Yes, sir. Of course, it doesn't allow…"

" _Thank you_ , Lieutenant, I have no further questions." Vorepps turned and walked away abruptly.

Kaya looked around, slightly confused. Was she done? She glanced back at the Lord Guardian. He too, seemed surprised by the sudden termination, but recovered instantly.

"Does anyone else have questions for this witness?" There was no answer and the man seemed surprised again. "Count Vorkosigan, do you have any questions for this witness?"

Kaya's eyes darted back to Vorkosigan. He was frowning slightly, but then shook his head and said: "No, my lord, no questions for _this_ witness."

"Very well, the witness is excused." Another liveried man came forward and escorted Kaya through the side door. But just before it closed behind her she heard Vorkosigan say:

"My lord, I request a half-hour recess."

The man took her back to the little waiting room and a few minutes later Armsman Rospond appeared. "I'll take you back to the house, Lieutenant."

She followed him out the way they had come. The earlier sunshine was now being hidden by some clouds. Perhaps it would rain later…

"Rospond, wait a moment."

The voice stopped her escort in his tracks. They looked back and there was a man in a brown and silver armsman's uniform. He looked vaguely familiar to Kaya. And the colors were a tip-off: a Vorkosigan armsman.

"Oh, hello, Roic," said Rospond. "What's up?" Ah, _Roic_ was his name. He'd come to Sergyar with the Count a few times.

"I'm afraid I need to borrow the lieutenant, here. M'boss wants a word with her."

Rospond looked wary. "Got orders to take her back to Vorinnis House."

Roic shrugged. "Count Vorkosigan told me to tell you that if necessary he can produce a summons in five minutes. Is it necessary?"

The Vorrinnis armsman frowned and chewed his lip but finally said: "Suit yourself. I'll be waiting here, Lieutenant."

Now _completely_ confused, Kaya followed Armsman Roic back into the castle. If Count Vorkosigan wanted to ask her questions, why hadn't he done it when she was in the Speaker's Circle? Roic took her down a different hallway where there were lots of small offices—apparently for the use of the counts—and directed her into one of them. As she'd expected, Vorkosigan was there. But there was someone else there, too.

A tall woman stood opposite the Count. She was wearing dress greens, but hers had trousers and not a skirt. A sword belt was buckled around her waist, although the hangers were empty. Blue captain's tabs were on her collar with a brass '61' over one and a 'VG' over the other. The left side of her tunic was covered with medals. The top row had two distinguished Service Stars and three Wound Medals. The row below that had a half-dozen medals Kaya didn't recognize—they didn't even look Barrayaran. The left side of the tunic wasn't bare, either. There was an Infantry Combat Badge, an Assault Landing Badge with _four_ drop stars, the Imperial Unit Citation, and two other decorations Kaya goggled to see on any uniform. The now-legendary _Milageres Medal_ , and the glittering starburst of the _Emperor's Thanks_. At the woman's throat was another decoration, the Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry—with oak leaves and crossed swords. It was the highest decoration Barrayar had to give except for the Vorbarra Cross itself—which you pretty much had to get killed to win.

Kaya was vaguely aware that she was standing with her mouth hanging open.

"Oh, hello, Lieutenant, thank you for coming," said Vorkosigan. "Let me introduce…"

"Captain Payne…" said Kaya in a whisper. Her mouth closed and she snapped to attention and saluted. "Sir!"

"Ah, you know the Captain, Lieutenant?"

"W-we've never met, sir—my lord! B-but I know of her." _What woman in the ISWA_ didn't _know of her?!_

Payne smiled slightly and returned her salute. "At ease, Lieutenant," she said. Kaya pulled her arm down to her side, but couldn't force herself into any other position than attention. Payne quirked an eyebrow and then turned back to the Count.

"Are you sure about this, my lord? I'm fully prepared to testify."

"I know you are Anny…" Kaya's expression went from one of gobsmackery to one of outrage in an instant. _Anny? How dare he call Captain Payne Anny?!_ This was Captain Andreanne Payne! The woman who fourteen years earlier had shattered every tradition in the Barrayaran Military by forcing her way into the Imperial Service Academy. She'd had the help of Countess Cordelia Vorkosigan, too, now that Kaya stopped to think about it. But she'd made it through on her own, despite every obstacle, obstruction, and dirty trick the conservatives could throw in her path. She'd been the first female officer in the Barrayaran military ever. And a _real_ officer, not some quasi-officer like existed in the ISWA at that time. She'd opened up the Academy to any woman who was good enough to get in. She'd gone to Novo Paveo with the Barrayaran Expeditionary Force and in a move of insane bravery had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. She'd come home missing an arm and the most highly decorated soldier in forty years. They'd grown her a new arm, of course, and now here she was two meters away from Kaya!

"I know, Anny," continued Vorkosigan, "but I've had a change of mind on our proper strategy here."

"My lord?"

"Yes, I had planned to trot you out there, with all your medals and everything and have you recite your accomplishments and point out how unfair it would be to you and the others if this legislation were passed."

 _Legislation? What legislation?_

"But if I did, what would I be showing them?"

"My lord? I don't understand."

 _Me neither! What is going on?_

"I'd be showing them an _aberration_ , Anny. No, don't frown, you _are_ an aberration. So am I. I'm the 'mutie count' and you're the woman soldier—the woman _hero_!"

"I'm… not following you, my lord," said Captain Payne.

"Tell, me, Anny, how many commissioned officers are there in the Imperial Service right now?"

"Not sure exactly…. About two hundred and seventy-five thousand, I think."

"Close enough. And how many of those are women?"

"Eight hundred and seventy-two," she answered with sure precision. "There are three hundred and forty-five more coming through the Academy."

"And of the commissioned women officers. How many of them are assigned to warships or combat units?"

Captain Payne hesitated. "Forty-three."

"And of those, how many are actually in command of combat troops?"

"Eight." Captain Payne was frowning more and more with each question.

"Eight," said Vorkosigan, not looking too pleased himself. "The problem is, Anny, that the bill before the Council is reasonable enough at face value: eliminate the differences between the women in the ISWA and those in the military. Standardize things. Eliminate some bureaucracy. Always a good thing, right? But if I bring you out there it will look as though I'm arguing against this reasonable bill for the benefit of just eight people." He looked right at Kaya.

"I'm thinking we should stand this whole thing on its head."

"Sir, my lord?" squeaked Kaya piteously. " _What_ is going on? Please?"

Vorkosigan's lips quirked up. "I'm guessing that you have no clue what's happening here. Correct?"

Kaya nodded. "Yes, sir."

"You were out there just now testifying in support of Council Bill 3794-12. Do you know what that is?"

She shook her head. "No sir."

"Didn't think so. Well, Lieutenant, it's a bill, which would take all eight hundred and seventy-two of those women officers Anny just mentioned—along with the ones in the Academy—and merge them _into_ the ISWA."

"What?!" she gasped. "But… but… Then they, the women, wouldn't… wouldn't be able to…"

"No, they wouldn't."

"But that's not fair!"

"Welcome to Barrayar," muttered Captain Payne.

"No, it's not," said Vorkosigan. "We didn't think so and that's why we're here. I'm guessing that most of the other women in the ISWA wouldn't think so, either, correct?"

"No they wouldn't. Most of them anyway," said Kaya, anger surging up in her. "But when I gave my testimony, it… it…"

"It made it seem like exactly the opposite. Don't blame yourself, Lieutenant, you were suckered."

"Well, I didn't mean it! Let me go back in there and I'll change what I said!"

"We can't exactly do that," said Vorkosigan, a strange smile growing on his lips. "You made sworn testimony and it's on the record. No way you can take it back now."

"Oh no…" She couldn't bring herself to face Captain Payne. How could she have been so stupid?

"Don't worry, Lieutenant. They brought in their expert witness. We'll just bring in ours."

"Who?" asked Kaya looking around. The only other one there was Captain Payne and the Count had ruled her out.

Vorkosigan's grin grew even bigger.

"Why you, of course."

Two minutes later she was back in the waiting room, and ten minutes after that she was in the Speaker's Circle again, sworn in and facing the counts. She noticed Captain Payne and Armsman Roic were now the only people in the gallery. Mr. Vorepps was staring at her in confusion and anger.

"Count Vorkosigan, wasn't this witness just here?" asked the Lord Guardian. "You could have asked her your question then."

"Yes, your pardon, my lord," answered Vorkosigan amiably. "But I wanted to make it quite clear just whose witness she is." A few of the other men in the chamber stirred, but overall they looked bored.

The man shrugged. "Suit yourself, my lord. You may proceed."

Vorkosigan nodded and came forward, limping slightly and leaning on a cane. "Hello, Lieutenant," he said.

"Hello, my lord."

"I enjoyed your earlier testimony. Very concise and understandable."

"Thank you, my lord."

"You'd be amazed at some of the gobbledygook that gets said in that very circle. But I noticed in your testimony that you were also very modest in talking about your own record. I took a few moments to pull up the fitness reports submitted by Admiral Jole when you worked for him. They were excellent to outstanding in every category. And I had a chance to see you working on Sergyar. In both routine and emergency situations your performance was first rate."

"Thank you, my lord," said Kaya, blushing.

"Jole said you had the potential for high command." Kaya blinked. _He did?_

"But I also noticed in your testimony," Vorkosigan continued, "that while you spoke of all the things women _could_ do under the new reforms, you didn't mention the one thing they still _cannot_ do. What would that be, Lieutenant?"

"We can't command troops, my lord."

"Really? I could have sworn I saw you ordering soldiers around on Sergyar."

"Only in routine situations, my lord. In combat situations… in those situations we can't."

"You can't? Not at all? Not even in an emergency?"

"No my lord."

"No matter what rank you hold? No matter how much experience you might have?"

"No my lord."

Vorkosigan turned completely around, sweeping his gaze over the audience. Some of them seemed more interested now. "Very interesting, Lieutenant. Let me pose a hypothetical situation to you. You worked for Admiral Jole for a couple of years before he retired, yes? Now let's suppose he didn't retire and you stayed working for him for another, oh, ten or fifteen years. Yes, I know that normal rotations of personnel make that very unlikely, but let's suppose it happened. You come to know his methods and ways of thinking. With your excellent fitness reports you rise in rank, captain, major, maybe all the way to commodore. You are his right hand. And then, let us suppose, you're aboard ship, a small task force, perhaps. He's in command, you are there with him. You are in a combat situation and the Admiral becomes incapacitated. You are the next highest ranking officer in the task force. You know the situation, you know what to do. What _could_ you do?"

"In a combat situation? Nothing at all, my lord."

"Nothing?"

"That's right, my lord, nothing. Under those conditions, with the regulations as they now exist, I could do nothing. Any order I might issue would be illegal and anyone who obeyed them would be in the wrong."

"So you'd have to sit back and watch everything go to hell?"

"I could offer advice to whoever was next in command—assuming he was a man—but they wouldn't have to follow my advice."

Vorkosigan shook his head and then leaned closer and said in a mock-whisper: "Just between you and me, Lieutenant, what would you _really_ do?"

Kaya looked him in the eye and then smiled. "I'd go ahead and give the right commands anyway—and to hell with the regulations!"

This got a few laugh from the other counts and proxies. They all seemed interested now. Vorkosigan chuckled, but quickly became serious again. "Tell me, Lieutenant, are you aware of Bill 3794-12, currently being considered by this Council?"

Kaya frowned sharply and glared at Vorepps. "I am _now_ , my lord." If looks could really have sprouted daggers, the man would have been carried out in a basket.

"Now that you do know about it, what do you think of it?"

The anger that had been bubbling inside Kaya suddenly lunged and grabbed hold of her mouth before her brain could intervene and she said: "I think it _stinks_ , my lord!"

Now there was real laughter in the chamber and Kaya very nearly clapped her hand over her mouth. Vorkosigan was clearly suppressing a laugh, too. "Strong words, Lieutenant. Tell, me why you feel that way?"

Kaya got herself under control. "My lord, please understand. Those of us in the ISWA, we all… I mean the way we feel about them, the other women, the ones in the regular military, they're our idols, our _heroes_. I _joined up_ because of Cap… because of them. Our hope and our dream is that someday we can do what they do: be real officers, real soldiers, in the _real_ military. Don't get me wrong, sir, we're very proud of the work we do in the ISWA, and we've come such a long way. Just one more step, my lord. One more! Please, let us take that step and join them. Don't drag _them_ back to be with us!" Kaya felt tears starting in her eyes and she looked up to where Captain Payne was looking down at her. She couldn't be sure, but it seemed like she smiled and nodded her head. There was silence in the chamber now and it felt like every eye was on her.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," said Vorkosigan. "Thank you very much. I have no more questions."

The liveried man took her back to the waiting room and a after a minute or two Roic came in. "The Count asks if you'd come back to Vorkosigan House? He and Captain Payne will follow a little later."

Kaya thought about it for a few seconds. "Well, I doubt I'm welcome at Vorinnis House after this. Sure, why not? But I left my stuff there…"

"Don't worry, Lieutenant, once I drop you off, I'll go fetch it. I know just who to talk to about it."

"Okay then, let's go."

They left the castle, walking right past a very bewildered Armsman Rospond, and got in another air car. It was only a short hop to Vorkosigan House, but during the flight Kaya managed to calm herself down. She couldn't believe how angry she'd been—or the things she'd said. How much trouble was she in? The Count would probably be pissed and no one wanted a count angry at them!

Vorkosigan House was one of those not-quite-a-fortress structures built just before the end of the Time of Isolation. It had been modernized, but it was still an immense pile of stone that Kaya didn't like at first glance. Roic landed the aircar and led her inside. Countess Ekaterin Vorkosigan was waiting to greet her. "Welcome, Lieutenant," she said. "Miles called to tell me you were coming. We'd like to offer you a—well, rather late lunch at this point—as soon as he and Anny get here. Would that be all right?"

Kaya suddenly realized that she was very hungry. Her stomach had been tied in knots all morning, but now that she was unwinding, breakfast had been a long time ago. "Thank you, my lady. I'd love to."

"Good. In the meantime, can I show you around a bit?"

"That would be fine. Where are the children?" Kaya remembered the time the entire Vorkosigan clan made an assault landing on Sergyar and the house seemed unnaturally quiet.

"All at school," said the Countess with a smile. "Hard to believe. The youngest pair just started this year."

Kaya found that she liked the inside of Vorkosigan House more than she did the outside. The place was impressive and interesting and elegantly decorated. The Countess was a noted designer in the city.

A half-hour or so later, the Count and Captain Payne arrived and all four were served a very tasty lunch in a parlor that was done all in yellows. The Captain was looking relaxed and the Count almost jovial. "How did things go, Dear?" asked the Countess.

"Better than I could have hoped. Thanks to the Lieutenant, I think we can say good-bye to Council Bill 3794-12. Her testimony revealed just what that bill really was more clearly than anything I could have come up with. I think the support for it will evaporate to the point it will be withdrawn."

"Oh good! That must be quite a relief to you, Anny."

"Yes, Very much, my lady." She looked at Kaya. "You have my thanks, Lieutenant."

Kaya felt herself blushing. Captain Payne was thanking _her_! That just wasn't right! "I… I had to… after the way I almost screwed things up."

"Not your fault," said the Count. "Happens all the time, actually. 'Expert witnesses' called in and then questioned so narrowly that they say the exact opposite of what they really mean."

"I just don't understand why Count Vorinnis would even do something like this. Why would he want to have the women officers stripped of their commands? He might not be with the Progressives, but he's not a Conservative, either. And he's young."

The Count tilted his head. "From what I've been able to learn, I don't think he has any particular interest in the issue. It was just politics. He has a pet project of his own and he's trying to drum up support for it. This was just a little quid pro quo, a little favor, he could do for some conservatives who are still trying to turn back the clock, in return for their support of his project."

Kaya sat back in her chair, an amazing little dessert forgotten on her plate. A sense of outrage built up in her. "He was willing to do that? Ruin the careers of a thousand women and dash the hopes of thousands more— _as a political favor?!"_

Vorkosigan shrugged. "It happens. Quite a lot actually. I'm just glad we were able to nip this one in the bud. "

"My lord," said Captain Payne, "perhaps now would be a good time launch a counterattack—while the issue is still fresh in people's minds."

The Count's eyebrows went up and he looked very thoughtful. "An interesting idea, Anny. I assume you're suggesting…"

"Taking that last step the Lieutenant spoke of so eloquently."

Kaya sucked in her breath. "You mean…?"

Vorkoigan nodded. "Instead of rolling the regular officers into the ISWA, let's see about rolling the ISWA into the regulars. A number of people, including the Emperor, have been thinking along those lines for a while. Perhaps now is the time to do something about it."

 _Yes!_ The idea sent a thrill through her. Kaya wasn't longing for combat or a combat command—not that there was much combat going on these days. But to be denied even the chance just because she was a woman had always irked her. Could this really happen? "That… that would be wonderful, my lord."

"Well, don't get your hopes too high. And even if it does happen, it could take quite a while to get it all worked out. But if it does, you will have helped to make it happen." Kaya was blushing again and she couldn't think of any coherent reply.

Just then, Roic appeared to announce that he had rescued Kaya's scant belongings from Vorinnis House.

"You're welcome to stay here tonight, Lieutenant," said the Countess.

"Yes, indeed!" added the Count. "And any other time you are in the city, please feel free to come. But what are your plans now, Lieutenant?"

"I'm not sure, sir. My orders didn't say anything about when I had to get back to Sergyar. I suppose I ought to check the schedules and see when the next ship will be leaving."

"I'll check with my sources and see if perhaps we can arrange a little leave for you. Do you have family you'd like to visit?"

"Yes, sir, er, my lord." She hesitated. "But they're down in Vorinnis's District. Not sure how welcome I'd be down there now…"

Vorkosigan laughed. "This isn't the time of Mad Yuri, Lieutenant! Counts hardly ever track down people who have annoyed them and have them killed anymore! Really quite dull these days. And in any case, if Count Vorinnis is angry with anyone, it will probably be with me—or that Vorepps fellow for letting me get to you. I wouldn't worry at all about it. These things pass."

"If you say so, my lord."

"So how are things on Sergyar these days? We haven't been there since my mother stepped down as vicereine. Things still hopping with the transfer of the capital to Gridgrad?"

Kaya took the change of subject in stride. "It keeps us busy, my lord. The military base is nearly complete, but there a lot of work to do on the infrastructure for the capital."

"The new palace _still_ isn't finished," said the Countess. "Nor my gardens."

"No, that's true. Maybe by the end of the year they're saying."

"That's what they said _last_ year."

"But do you find your work interesting, Lieutenant?"

"Truth to tell, my lord, it's not nearly as interesting as it was when I worked for Admiral Jole. He—and the Vicereine—always had something interesting going on. These days it's all pretty routine."

Vorkosigan popped the last of his dessert into his mouth and chewed. Then he smiled and said: "Well, if our 'counterattack' works as we hope, there might be some new opportunities opening up to you."

"That would be wonderful," said Kaya, contemplating the possibilities. If she could do anything, what would she do? Ship duty? Ground forces? It was like a whole new country opening up before her.

Captain Payne cleared her throat. "There are going to be some personnel changes in the 61st coming up. The lieutenant colonel is transferring to a staff position and that will mean some promotions. I'm hoping to make major and get my own battalion soon. If that happens, I may have an opening on my staff." She looked right at Kaya. "If you're interested."

"I… uh… I'd like that very much, sir! But I don't have any assault training." She couldn't believe this! Captain Payne offering her a job?

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. None of this has even happened yet. But if it does… keep it in mind."

Kaya nodded like an idiot. "Yes sir! Yes, sir, I surely will!"

The End


End file.
